Stick shift statistics at a glance
Stick shift statistics tell a clear story: manual transmissions are no longer the default, but they are still very much alive in enthusiast models, selected trims, and a few brand pillars.
Big number: the EPA says 2024 model-year new-vehicle production averaged 27.2 mpg, up 0.1 mpg year over year and 41% versus 2004 (EPA Automotive Trends Report). That wider market efficiency backdrop helps explain why manuals are now a niche rather than a mass-market norm.
Fast facts
- EPA’s trends database covers every new light-duty vehicle model sold in the U.S. since 1975, with model years 1975-2024 marked final and 2025 preliminary (EPA Automotive Trends database).
- EPA still tracks manuals separately from automatic, automated manual, and CVT powertrains in its 2024 report (EPA Automotive Trends Report).
- The EPA transmission production-share figure breaks manuals into 3-speed, 4-speed, 5-speed, 6-speed, and 7-speed categories (EPA Automotive Trends Report).
- 8-speed automatics are identified as the most popular transmission type in model year 2024 (EPA Automotive Trends Report).
- EPA says manual transmissions have been in decline in the modern market (EPA Automotive Trends Report).
Table of contents
- What stick shift statistics say about the market
- Transmission mix and production share
- Where manuals still show up in the reference fleet
- Current enthusiast models that keep manuals relevant
- Model-by-model comparison
- What the numbers imply for buyers
What stick shift statistics say about the market
The headline is not that manuals disappeared. It is that the market moved around them.
The EPA’s 2024 reporting framework still separates manual transmissions from other drivetrain types, which matters because the category remains measurable even as it shrinks (EPA Automotive Trends Report). That is a useful signal: stick shift statistics are no longer about volume leadership, but about persistence inside a highly automated market.
Why it matters: manual transmissions survive where buyers still value engagement, control, and a more direct connection to the powertrain. The current data shows that those preferences are concentrated in a narrower slice of vehicles, not spread evenly across the fleet.
The EPA’s broader production data also makes the context hard to ignore. With the 2024 model-year fleet averaging 27.2 mpg and improving over both the prior year and 2004, the industry’s push has clearly been toward efficiency and calibration rather than driver involvement alone (EPA Automotive Trends Report). Manuals remain part of the picture, but they are no longer the center of gravity.
Key takeaways from the data
- Manuals are still tracked as a distinct category, so they remain relevant for analysis rather than being merged away (EPA Automotive Trends Report).
- The modern mix is transmission-rich, with automatics and automated variants taking most of the market attention (EPA Automotive Trends Report).
- Stick shift statistics now tell a specialty-market story, not a mainstream-market story.
Transmission mix and production share
EPA’s transmission production-share figure is one of the cleanest ways to read the market because it separates manual gears into their own buckets while also identifying the dominant automatic types (EPA Automotive Trends Report).
The most important pattern is the split between broadly available automatics and the much smaller manual population. Manuals are segmented into 3-speed through 7-speed types, while 8-speed automatics are called out as the most popular transmission type in model year 2024 (EPA Automotive Trends Report).
That does two things at once:
- It confirms manuals are still diverse enough to analyze by gear count.
- It shows the market’s center of mass has moved decisively toward multi-speed automatics.
Comparable transmission view
| Category | What the data says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Manual transmissions | Tracked separately from automatic, automated manual, and CVT powertrains | EPA Automotive Trends Report |
| Manual gear counts | Broken out into 3-speed, 4-speed, 5-speed, 6-speed, and 7-speed manuals | EPA Automotive Trends Report |
| Automatics | 8-speed automatics are the most popular transmission type in model year 2024 | EPA Automotive Trends Report |
| Market trend | Manual transmissions have been in decline in the modern market | EPA Automotive Trends Report |
A useful way to read this table is to notice the asymmetry. Manual transmissions are still granular enough to classify by gear count, but the highest-profile production-share note belongs to an 8-speed automatic. That is the clearest sign of where the market volume is concentrated.
Where manuals still show up in the reference fleet
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration draft technical assessment table gives a brand-level view of how manual models survive inside a fleet dominated by higher-speed automatics (NHTSA Draft TAR).
Here, the signal is not that one brand “wins” the manual race. It is that some manufacturers still maintain meaningful manual inventories while many others have effectively gone all-in on automatic-heavy lineups.
Manual and auto-6+ model counts
| Brand | Manual models | Auto-6+ models | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMW | 4 | 93 | NHTSA Draft TAR |
| Daimler | 0 | 100 | NHTSA Draft TAR |
| FCA | 3 | 94 | NHTSA Draft TAR |
| Ford | 6 | 86 | NHTSA Draft TAR |
| General Motors | 1 | 98 | NHTSA Draft TAR |
| Honda | 3 | 33 | NHTSA Draft TAR |
| Hyundai-Kia | 2 | 96 | NHTSA Draft TAR |
| Jaguar Land Rover | 0 | 100 | NHTSA Draft TAR |
| Mazda | 9 | 91 | NHTSA Draft TAR |
| Mitsubishi | 8 | 3 | NHTSA Draft TAR |
| Nissan | 2 | 15 | NHTSA Draft TAR |
| Subaru | 7 | 0 | NHTSA Draft TAR |
| Toyota | 1 | 83 | NHTSA Draft TAR |
| Volvo | 0 | 100 | NHTSA Draft TAR |
| Volkswagen/Audi | 7 | 0 | NHTSA Draft TAR |
| Light-duty fleet | 3 | 73 | NHTSA Draft TAR |
What stands out
- Mazda with 9 manual models is the highest manual count in the table (NHTSA Draft TAR).
- Mitsubishi with 8 manual models stands out because it is paired with only 3 auto-6+ models in the same reference fleet slice (NHTSA Draft TAR).
- Subaru with 7 manual models and 0 auto-6+ models is one of the clearest manual-forward profiles in the table (NHTSA Draft TAR).
- Volkswagen/Audi with 7 manual models and 0 auto-6+ models also shows that some manufacturers still support manual-driven offerings in a limited way (NHTSA Draft TAR).
- At the other end, Daimler, Jaguar Land Rover, and Volvo each list 0 manual models and 100 auto-6+ models (NHTSA Draft TAR).
The table is not a simple ranking of “manual brands.” It is a portrait of how manual availability now varies sharply by manufacturer strategy. Some fleets preserve a pocket of manual cars; others are effectively transmission-automated across the board.
Current enthusiast models that keep manuals relevant
The most convincing way to understand stick shift statistics is to look at the cars that still make a manual desirable rather than merely available.
The supplied data shows several current performance and sport compact models that continue to treat the manual as part of the product identity, not as a curiosity.
Toyota GR Supra and GR Corolla
Toyota’s current enthusiast lineup shows both continuity and adaptation.
- The 2025 Toyota GR Supra comes in 2 grades, 3.0 and 3.0 Premium (Toyota USA Newsroom).
- Both grades are available with either a manual transmission or an automatic transmission (Toyota USA Newsroom).
- The GR Supra produces up to 382 horsepower and 368 lb-ft of torque (Toyota USA Newsroom).
- The manual-transmission GR Supra weighs 3,389 pounds (Toyota USA Newsroom).
- Toyota says the manual gearbox uses a new large-diameter clutch with a reinforced diaphragm spring and software-based rev matching on downshifts (Toyota USA Newsroom).
The GR Corolla is just as important for the manual conversation:
- The 2025 Toyota GR Corolla outputs 300 horsepower at 6,500 rpm (Toyota USA Newsroom).
- It produces 295 lb-ft of torque, which Toyota describes as an increase over the prior model year (Toyota USA Newsroom).
- Toyota added an 8-speed GAZOO Racing Direct Automatic Transmission with paddle shifters (Toyota USA Newsroom).
- Toyota still describes the GR Corolla as appealing to enthusiasts who enjoy a manual transmission (Toyota USA Newsroom).
The takeaway is straightforward: Toyota is not treating manual availability as a standalone story. It is embedding it in performance packaging, drivetrain variety, and enthusiast branding.
Honda Civic Si and Acura Integra Type S
Honda and Acura provide a different but equally revealing angle.
- The 2025 Honda Civic Si starts at $30,250 (Honda).
- It uses a 200-hp 1.5-liter turbocharged engine and a 6-speed manual transmission (Honda).
- It is rated at 27 city mpg, 37 highway mpg, and 31 combined mpg (Honda).
- It includes a helical limited-slip differential (Honda).
- Its 6MT gear ratios run 3.643, 2.080, 1.361, 1.024, 0.830, and 0.686 from 1st through 6th, with a 3.673 reverse ratio and a 4.35 final drive ratio (Honda).
The 2025 Acura Integra Type S pushes the manual into a higher-performance luxury context:
- It makes 320 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque (Acura).
- It uses a standard 6-speed manual transmission with rev-match control (Acura).
- Acura says the redline is 7,000 rpm and the compression ratio is 9.8:1 (Acura).
- It is front-wheel drive (Acura).
- It is rated at 21 city mpg, 28 highway mpg, and 24 combined mpg with the 6MT (Acura).
Honda and Acura prove that manuals can still work in practical and premium sport compact formats when the product story is centered on driver engagement.
Mazda MX-5 Miata, Subaru BRZ, and Nissan Z
These models are the clearest illustration of why manual demand persists.
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The 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata uses a 2.0-liter Skyactiv-G four-cylinder engine (Mazda USA News).
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It makes 181 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 151 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm (Mazda USA News).
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The Sport and Club trims are exclusively paired with a 6-speed manual transmission (Mazda USA News).
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Mazda lists the manual-transmission curb weight at 2,366 pounds (Mazda USA vehicle page).
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The 2025 Subaru BRZ makes 228 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque (Subaru).
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It comes with a 6-speed manual transmission with close ratios (Subaru).
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Subaru says the manual includes a standard short-throw shifter (Subaru).
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The 2025 Nissan Z makes 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque (Nissan USA).
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It offers a 6-speed manual or a 9-speed automatic transmission (Nissan USA).
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The manual version is rated at 18 city mpg, 24 highway mpg, and 20 combined mpg (Nissan USA brochure).
These models are important because they show manuals surviving in three different forms: lightweight roadster, affordable sports coupe, and higher-output performance coupe.
Model-by-model comparison
When you compare the named current models side by side, the pattern becomes easier to see: manuals are most often paired with vehicles that sell driving feel as a feature.
| Model | Output | Manual availability | Notable source detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Honda Civic Si | 200 hp | 6-speed manual | 27/37/31 mpg, helical limited-slip differential (Honda) |
| 2025 Acura Integra Type S | 320 hp | 6-speed manual | Rev-match control, 21/28/24 mpg with 6MT (Acura) |
| 2025 Mazda MX-5 Miata | 181 hp | 6-speed manual on Sport and Club | 2,366-pound manual curb weight (Mazda USA News; Mazda USA vehicle page) |
| 2025 Subaru BRZ | 228 hp | 6-speed manual | Close-ratio manual, short-throw shifter (Subaru) |
| 2025 Toyota GR Corolla | 300 hp | Manual retained alongside auto | 295 lb-ft, 8-speed automatic added (Toyota USA Newsroom) |
| 2025 Toyota GR Supra | 382 hp | Manual or automatic | New clutch, rev matching on downshifts (Toyota USA Newsroom) |
| 2025 Nissan Z | 400 hp | 6-speed manual or 9-speed automatic | 18/24/20 mpg manual rating (Nissan USA) |
This kind of comparison matters because it shows the role manual transmissions play in the current market:
- They are a selling point in enthusiast trims.
- They are still linked to lower-volume, higher-engagement models.
- They are often paired with features that strengthen the driving experience, such as rev matching, short-throw shifters, or limited-slip differentials.
What the numbers imply for buyers
Stick shift statistics are telling buyers two things at the same time.
First, the market is not built around manual transmission volume anymore. EPA’s 2024 report makes that plain by showing the transmission mix skewing toward automatics, especially 8-speed automatics, while manuals continue a long decline (EPA Automotive Trends Report).
Second, manuals still have clear product roles. They appear in models where the buyer experience benefits from a more active drivetrain relationship, not just a commuting utility function. That is why the current manual list is concentrated in cars like the Civic Si, Integra Type S, MX-5 Miata, BRZ, GR Corolla, GR Supra, and Nissan Z (Honda; Acura; Mazda USA News; Mazda USA vehicle page; Subaru; Toyota USA Newsroom; Nissan USA).
For shoppers, the practical read is simple:
- If you want a manual, the best odds are in enthusiast trims and sports cars.
- If you want broad availability across the full market, automatics dominate the data.
- If you want to understand where manuals still matter, focus on cars that make the driving interface part of the value proposition.
The source data does not support the idea that manuals are gone. It supports a narrower, more precise claim: manuals are now a specialized feature set inside a transmission market that has largely moved on.